Most of the dust blew off the coast of Egypt, partially obscuring the satellite sensor’s view of the Nile Delta. An especially thick river of dust stretched northward past the Greek island of Kriti (Crete). In the north, the dust encountered cloudbanks.

Sand seas extend over large portions of Libya and Egypt. In Egypt, a little less than 3 percent of the land is arable; in Libya, just over 1 percent of the land is arable. Dust storms rank among the most frequent natural hazards for both countries.